


Illuminate the NO's on Their VACANCY Signs

by BoopitybopCoodilybap (orphan_account)



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, One Shot Collection, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 15:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1392031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/BoopitybopCoodilybap
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Heaven and Hell decide<br/>That they both are satisfied<br/>Illuminate the NO's on their VACANCY signs<br/>If there's no one beside you<br/>When your soul embarks<br/>Then I'll follow you into the dark<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The door bursts open and Eponine can tell who the dark shape in the entranceway is before she sees his face, simply by his smell.

"Heyyy," Grantaire slurs.

The ebony-skinned girl drops the magazine she'd been reading onto the threadbare couch and stands up to help her roommate.

"Oh, R," she says sympathetically, flipping on the light. She takes his face in her hands and turns his head from side to side to check for injuries. "You didn't get into any fights, did you?"

He swishes his hand through the air in a nonspecific, drunken manor. "Naaah. I'm no' th' fight'n type, Epinine. Y'know that."

She pulls him into a hug. He drapes his hands (one of which is still holding a bottle) over her shoulders.

"I know," she mutters into his shoulder. Then, pulling away, "I just worry about you, R."

He looks at her with a faraway look in his eyes. "Thing is," he murmurs "I love 'im. But, he doesn' love me back."

Eponine sighs. She rubs her forehead with one hand, then takes Grantaire by the arm and gently but firmly forces him to sit down on the couch. She takes the bottle from his hand and sets that down on the floor, too. She turns slightly in her seat so she's facing him. "Grantaire, you have to stop with Enjolras. You're..." she tries to find the right words. "You're obsessed with him. And- and it's not healthy for you to just keep drowning out the rest of the world because of him."

Grantaire stares at her for minute, serious. Then, to Eponine's surprise, he laughs. "I can't." he chuckles. "I just can't not love 'im. Hey, and wha' about you an' what's-'is-face... Marius?"

"Yes... But," she says, turning so she's looking away from him and instead straight ahead at the bare wall, "Marius is none of your business, alright?"

"A'right." He smiles.

They sit in silence for a minute, then, she leans over and puts her head on his shoulder.

"Grantaire," she whispers, "You know I love you, right?"

Eponine looks up from the corners of her eyes and sees him smile.

He puts his arm around her. "Ya," he says. "I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

Gavroche grinned mischievously. He shuffled his feet quickly and quietly towards his target. He jumped and ducked behind and between chairs and booths, crawling under tables and not caring if he squished peoples' feet as he did so.

He peeked over the back of a chair. There, right there, only a few feet away, was his goal. He could see the bulge of its rectangular shape from beneath the fabric of the man's coat.

He slunk across the diner floor, careful as he'd ever been, and then crouched within reach of his objective.

He silently wiggled his fingers and reached...

Only to be stopped short when a large hand encased his own small one.

"Looking for something?" Grantaire laughed. Not letting go of the boy's hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what Gavroche had been aiming for– a packet of Joe Camel's– and shook them. 

Gavroche nodded slowly and guiltily. "Ya," he whispered, embarrassed.

"Cigarettes aren't good for you, little buddy." Grantaire finally let go of Gavroche's wrist, and the little boy pulled it back like it had been bitten.

"Then why do you smoke them?" He asked.

Grantaire chuckled again. "It would just be better if my life was a little shorter, Gav."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually starting to have a bit of a plot, though it might not seme like it at this point.
> 
> Plenty more still to come!
> 
> Don't forget to leave us some kuddos and comments, guys!  
> Stay frosty ;)  
> ~B-Coop


	3. Chapter 3

Eponine sighs as she spritzes the counter with another spray of cleaner, sliding over it with the folded rag.

She looks up out the wide front window of the tiny Paris café. Marius and Cosette are sitting at a metal table on the patio, talking and giggling away.

She hates this. She hates working at this stupid coffee shop. She hates having to serve those two idiots in love and pretend to be fine with it. She hates seeing Marius with someone else. 

She has no right to be angry about that last one. He had never been hers to begin with.

And, she supposes that, in a way, she is happy for him. She is glad that he's found someone to love, even if it isn't Eponine herself.

She finishes wiping down the counter, and puts the cloth away. She looks at the couple again and notices that they are out of coffee. So Eponie wipes her hands on her apron, scoops up the pot of boiling coffee from the maker, plasters on a smile, and goes out to give them refills.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys :)  
> More to come from this fic soon!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and remember that comments and kudos are always welcomed!  
> Stay frosty, readers ;)  
> ~B-Coop


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